The race against time to save the last ‘Flying Pencil’

25 November 2011

Scientists from the Department of Materials are in a race against time to help save the last remaining intact German World War II Dornier Do-17 light bomber, known as the Flying Pencil (Fliegender Bleistift), which lies underwater in the English Channel off the Kent coast.

The researchers are donating their time and scientific expertise to help the Royal Air Force Museum rescue the submerged aircraft, which was discovered in the shallows off the Goodwin Sands in 2010. Shifting sands uncovered the aircraft, which was previously protected by layers of sediment, exposing it to the corrosive effects of seawater and threatening to destroy the plane entirely. Preventing corrosion will enable the museum to display the plane in a gallery that they plan to build in tribute to those who lost their lives during the Battle of Britain.

Dr Mary Ryan (Materials), who is working on the project, said: “We have been analysing fragments already brought to the surface and it is absolutely fascinating to see how this bomber, which crash-landed more than 70 years ago, has been so well-preserved by the layers of sand. We are relishing the challenge of finding a way to help save this historical treasure, so that it can be raised and put on display for future generations.”

One of the challenges for Imperial researchers is devising a method for cleaning and removing the corroded layers from the Flying Pencil’s aluminium fuselage. It contains large amounts of the corrosive agent chloride, which comes from the seawater. The researchers are currently testing environmentally friendly solution based on citric acid.

— Colin Smith, Communications and Development

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